Big Dune ACEC, Nevada

Big Dune ACEC is located in the Amargosa Valley of Nye County off Valley View Road south of State Highway 95. It is a 1.5 square mile
complex star sand dune that reaches 2,731 feet above sea level. It is managed to protect habitat for four sensitive beetle species,
three which are endemic to this single dune complex and are found nowhere else in the world. Big Dune is one of only three dune systems
in the planning area. Giulianiís big dune scarab beetle (Pseudocotalpa giulianii) was proposed for listing as a threatened species under
the Endangered Species Act in August 1978 with the entire Big Dune Complex proposed critical habitat for the species. Off-road vehicle
use and mining were identified as the largest threat to the species at the time. Three other sensitive beetle species can also be found
at Big Dune:

Vegetation around and on the dunes includes
creosote bush (Larrea tridentata),
sandpaper plant (Petalonyx thurberi),
prickly poppy (Argemone corybosa) and astragalus (Astragalus lentiginosus var. variabilis). These plants and the dune itself are very
important for survival of these rare beetle species. All four Big Dune beetle species rely on dune plants for survival. The plants
provide food and mating sites and, when covered with sand, shelter and food for their larvae. The beetles also burrow into the harder
layers of sand below the loose, windblown dune surface when they are inactive.

Recreation Opportunities:

Non-competitive off-highway vehicle use
Limited to existing roads and the open dunes
Sandboarding and sandskiing on open dunes
Wildlife viewing
Photography